Bon Voyage
by angel422
Summary: What happens when Jude and Tommy lose their musictheir connection with each other. Will they find it again? And where exactly will it be found? Please R
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey you guys! I'm about to post the last two chapters of Viva La France so to make up for it, here's the first chapter of my other out of this world adventure. What happens when Jude and Tommy seem to have lost their music—their inspiration. How do they get it back? And where will they find it? I love you guys! Please R&R. Angel422.

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I looked over at Tommy quietly as I strummed on my guitar—perusing his features through the glass of the sound proof room without realizing I was staring until he looked up at me too. Our eyes met and I looked away. He had returned from Montana three months ago grieving over a lost family member and he had decidedly gotten lost in the work Darius had waiting for him upon his return. He seemed unreachable somehow now. Different.

The surprise I had felt at his return had been completely masked by my sudden intense schedule—rigid touring dates, interviews, photo ops, even a movie cameo, and my eighteenth birthday. I was tired and more than beat, but I now had a Grammy under my belt and my producer back in the studio.

But, no matter how hard we both pretended that nothing had happened between us—that we could still work together the way we had before, I found myself confounded by the distance we had between us now—almost as if a gap had been created by his absence—by the things that had happened to us both. We could barely even write a song together. It was annoying, even a little disturbing, and Darius was the most frustrated of us all about it. The thing was, we had all been in the studio too long—living, eating, and sleeping this third album. And we were all beat.

"Let's just call that one a wrap for today." Tommy remarked wearily through the intercom before releasing the button. I just sighed. That had been a lousy song. Everything about it had been lousy—the lyrics, the music—everything. Kwest shook his head from beside Tom. He knew the sound was bad. Tom did too, but I watched quietly as he leaned back in his chair and threw down a pencil in resignation. It was almost as if we had both lost our inspiration—our muse. The door slammed open suddenly, and I jumped.

"What the hell?" Tommy demanded as Darius rushed in looking both tired and a little annoyed. I knew he wasn't happy about where this next album was going—that being that it _wasn't_ going anywhere at all.

"I have an announcement to make." Darius proclaimed as the rest of the studio started gathering around the doorway curiously. I could hear the guys from SME grumbling from behind me as they set down their instruments. They seemed affected by the melancholy too. We were just afraid it was another publicity event. I couldn't handle another publicity event! Darius threw down an envelope in front of us. I groaned until Darius threw down a stack of sunglasses as well. What the….

"We're taking a vacation." Darius stated simply as he looked around the room.

"Everyone who was involved in the making of the third album is going to get a two week cruise to Tahiti—a trip to the wonderful world of the South Pacific. And if we all don't return refreshed and ready to write and sing, I'm barring you all from the studio. Maybe even firing a few people. So, do me a favor and go home and pack." Darius proclaimed as we all just stared at him in dumb-founded amazement broken only by Sadie's sudden shrill squeal. What?


	2. Chapter 2

**_The next afternoon..._**

I closed my eyes as I listened to Sadie chatter insistently behind me. She may not have been a large part in the making of the album itself, but she had helped Liam get it sold to the French provinces of Canada and that was enough to get her a free ride to the South Pacific. She was just plain giving me a headache.

"How long can she go for?" Tommy asked miserably from beside me, and I turned toward him in the van Darius had decided to use to get us to the airport in. We were taking off from Toronto to land in Papeete, the Port City where we would catch the ship that would take us on the fourteen-day cruise of the islands. I couldn't help it. I was a little excited.

"She's like the energizer bunny. She just keeps going and going and going." I stated simply as Sadie stopped talking long enough to hit me on the back of the head with her duffel bag.

"Hey!" I cried out suddenly before pushing Tommy gently against the shoulder. It didn't feel right. We didn't touch much these days.

"He started it." I supplied helpfully as Tommy threw me a look. I just felt the general need to sleep—you know the basic energizing mode that the body needed for regeneration. I was at least a good forty-eight hours behind. Tom turned back toward the notebook he had been writing in, and I could tell just by glancing down that it was a song we had been working on that Darius hadn't been happy with. Tommy seemed obsessed with making it perfect almost to the point that he was making it worse. I placed my hand gently over the page.

"Darius did say this was a vacation." I whispered softly as he firmly removed my hand. I shook my head before placing it there again. He looked up at me in irritation.

"We have run ourselves ragged trying to figure out what is wrong with that thing in case you've forgotten the recent two day fast and general lock-in at the studio. Just put it away. Maybe not looking at it for a while will make it seem better when you pick it up again." I told him quietly as he just sighed before slamming the book shut. Nice to see I still had some power of persuasion. I tapped my foot impatiently.

"Are you going to be doing that all the way to the damn islands." Tom asked me suddenly as he placed a hand on my knee to keep me from moving it. I just smiled at him sweetly.

"Would it bother you if I did?" I asked him on a chuckle as he finally smiled at me for the first time in days. My heart melted a little out of the icy chunk it had frozen itself into.

"If I said yes, would you continue to do it?" He asked with a wry shrug of his shoulder as I pretended to think a moment before nodding. Yep, definitely.

"Then no." He answered simply as I continued to tap my foot anyway. He narrowed his eyes at me. I just shrugged.

"I didn't say I wouldn't continue it if you said no either." I remarked wryly as he rolled his eyes before sitting back against the seat and closing his eyelids. He couldn't hide the half smile that crossed his face suddenly though as he tried to sleep. I moved a little closer to him without thinking about it as I smiled too. Maybe Darius was right. I needed to find that connection with Tommy again as artist and producer before everything had gone to hell in one single night. It was what made our music brilliant. And right now, we were lacking that brilliance.


	3. Chapter 3

The van pulled up to the airport later that afternoon, and I watched silently as everyone gathered their things in order to board the plane. Sadie was talking incessantly again and the guys of SME were throwing something at each other that looked suspiciously like either a foil wrapped condom or a stink bomb. I really really didn't want to know.

"I'm guessing they've all had their shots, right?" Tommy asked suddenly from behind me, and I spun toward him with a laugh—shouldering my duffel bag as I did.

"Rabies, distemper, tetanus…yep, I'm pretty sure we've covered them all." I replied with a smile as he grinned down at me before brushing past me toward the plane. My face fell dramatically as I watched his retreating back in fascination—wondering as I did about the things the two of us had been through over the past two years. I was still so angry at him—so hostile in a way. Maybe the distance between us was my fault. Maybe I had put it there as a way to protect myself. I hadn't let him even try to explain his reasons for leaving the way he did to me since his return. I hadn't wanted to hear it.

"He's one baffling son of a bitch, isn't he?" Kwest asked from beside me as he came to a stand still next to me while following my gaze with his. I just looked down at the ground as Kwest shrugged.

"One minute you think you've got him completely figured out—you think you might actually be getting somewhere with him and then the next it's like you are starting all over again. I've known the man a long time, and he's always been that way." Kwest stated simply as he raised a brow up at me. "Don't put yourself through the stress, Harrison, unless you're willing to stand up to the heat." Kwest finished with a sigh before brushing past me too. Why did I suddenly feel as if I was going on anything _but _a vacation? I shook my head resolutely as I started after them all—almost tripping over Jamie as I did. He grunted, and I laughed at his uncomfortable expression.

"Have I ever told you that I don't like the sun? I'm like a vampire." Jamie remarked as Patsy came up behind him while rolling her eyes. That's what he gets for scouting out the girl that ended up opening for me on tour. Patsy certainly was one of a kind. She always managed to wake up the crowds before I took to the stage. It was a great lead up. I shook my head at them as I walked by humming "_I wear my sunglasses at night_." I could feel Jamie's eyes boring glaringly into my back and I chuckled. That was everyone—everyone that had been involved one way or another with the third album and with the tour that promoted its release, and I felt grateful to them all—almost all. Stumbling onto the plane, I took a seat next to the window as everyone else filed past me—looking out over the runway asphalt as someone took a seat beside me. I looked next to me to see Tommy settling in warily. My hackles rose. We had been too quiet with each other lately. I was just waiting for one of us to get angry first—for the whole charade to suddenly explode in our faces. That's what happens when you put off confrontation as long as we had. Tom shrugged.

"It was either here or with Liam. I chose the lesser of two evils." Tom replied quietly as I raised a brow. I certainly hope he hadn't meant that as a compliment.

"I'm so honored." I remarked sarcastically as he shrugged as if saying 'yeah well.' I took in a deep, steadying breath—our earlier attempts at civility forgotten. "Should I contact airport security in case you find yourself in a sudden need to escape without warning." I stated coldly as Tommy's eyes narrowed. It had been a low blow I know—referring to the way he had left before, leaving me without a producer and most importantly without a friend when I needed it the most. Not to mention, he hadn't trusted me enough to use me as a crying shoulder when his sister had passed away in Montana. Nope, I had had to find out about it through Darius of all people. Tom clenched his jaw before turning toward me suddenly.

"You're really so trying lately, aren't you, Jude? Is stubborn really the way you want to be viewed because you are really really good at it." Tommy retorted as I sat back in my seat huffily. I needed to stay angry at him—needed to protect what was left of my heart.

"Stubborn works for me, Quincy. It keeps me grounded—keeps me from doing something stupid like trusting someone too much." I replied pointedly as Tommy stared at me a moment in silence before turning away. I could see the fire spark in his eyes at that comment—could tell that it had hit home.

"Jude…" He began in that tone that he always used right before he apologized. God, I didn't want him to. It would melt my resolve.

"Don't." I stated simply before placing my hand gently over his mouth.

"Just don't." I remarked again in a strangled tone as I realized his lips were against my skin. Okay, not a smart move on my part. Tom almost smiled against my palm as I quickly pulled my hand away. He seemed to realize how much it affected me. He leaned in close to me.

"You can stop me from apologizing, but you can't stop me from trying." He whispered as I shivered from the tone he used. My heart trembled unsteadily as the plane started to lift off. The South Pacific seemed way too warm a place for me right now. Tom raised a brow before sitting back against the seat as the plane kept climbing. He looked out of the window next to me warily, and I quirked a brow up in sudden amusement.

"Not afraid of heights are you, big man?" I asked him on a small laugh as he threw me a scathing look.

"Shut up, Harrison. Just close the shade would you?" He asked nicely as I grinned wickedly. Yeah right. I lifted the shade up higher from the half way position it was in at the moment. Sunlight streamed in as Tommy closed his eyes.

"It's a long way down." I stated in a sing song voice as he reached out his hand and pinched me on the arm—hard.

"Ow!" I remarked loudly as he cracked a lid open when the seat belt sign dinged off.

"That's for being obnoxious." Tommy replied before leaning over me to pull down the shade. I pulled it up again. This time he admitted defeat. A stewardess walked by with a whimsical expression on her face as she gave us both courtesy bags of peanuts. I upended mine quickly—starving after walking out of my apartment with not so much as a hint of breakfast that morning. I looked over at Tommy.

"Going to eat those?" I asked him cheerfully as he groaned before handing them over. Something told me the open window had caused him to lose his appetite. I just grinned.

"Just you wait, Harrison." Tommy grumbled as I upended his bag too. "Just you wait."


	4. Chapter 4

"You are determined to annoy the hell out of me, aren't you?" Tommy asked me a few hours later as I continued to hum the theme song to 'The Pink Panther' while watching the guys from SME aggravate the hell out of a pretty brunette in front of me. Their antics brought to mind a very misguided Steve Martin as well as the guy who starred in the older versions of the farce comedy. Ahhh! What relief those boys brought to the studio. I just smiled prettily at Tom before leaning forward in my seat to grab one of the white barf bags that the airplane provided.

"If I make you sick, there's always amenities for such qualms." I remarked on a chuckle as I handed Tommy the bag. He threw me a look before taking it from me with a tight smile. I bit my lip to keep from grinning as he leaned back in his seat. It shouldn't amuse me so much, but I almost felt like I was dishing out a form of poetic justice. The man had wounded my pride the day he left me in a parking lot watching his retreating tail lights while the patrons of the restaurant watched me in sympathy. His own pride deserved to be stung a little.

"Your not allergic to spiders, are you?" Tommy asked suddenly from beside me as I glanced over at him warily. I was deathly afraid of spiders.

"Why?" I asked in a slightly panicked tone as Tommy just shrugged while looking at a spot above my shoulder. I could feel the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

"Just curious in case the one behind you had a mind to bite." Tommy commented nonchalantly as I shot out of my seat with a screech—landing in Tommy's lap in an inelegant heap as everyone turned around to look at me curiously. I felt my face go warm as I looked toward the window. Nothing was there.

"Not phobic, are you?" Tommy asked sweetly as he coughed to cover up a laugh. I just growled through clenched teeth before hitting him over and over with the backs of my hands. He just laughed as he grabbed my wrists with his palms, and I winced as I realized I was still sitting in his lap.

"That wasn't funny!" I declared as I slid back into the seat I had just vacated before hitting him one more time against the arm for good measure. Tom just continued to chuckle.

"Tit for tat, Jude." Tommy stated whimsically as I threw him a scathing look. Ughhhh! The man could drive a friggin' shrink insane. I saw Kwest giving us a look from the seat across the aisle as the seat belt light suddenly dinged on while the pilot came over the loud speaker to announce our approach to Papeete.

"Do you swim?" I asked Tom sweetly as he just grinned over at me while I fastened my seat belt.

"Sorry, Jude. I even did a stint as a lifeguard when I was about fifteen. No chance of finding a way to drown me." Tommy muttered as I just rolled my eyes.

"I was thinking more along the lines of feeding you to the sharks." I stated simply as he guffawed. I wasn't laughing. Did he think I was joking?

"It'll be fun just to watch you try, Jude Harrison." He stated simply as I stared over into his piercing blue gaze. His blue eyes were enough to drown in all on their own. I really needed to watch my step. He lifted a brow as he leaned over to whisper into my ear suddenly.

"I'm feeling inspired, Jude. Maybe we should write a song." He commented quietly as I just crossed my arms over my chest resolutely. Sure, he was inspired. Now. Bon Voyage Toronto. Hello Hell with enough temptation to tempt a saint.


	5. Chapter 5

I felt like I should be dancing to calypso music or braiding my hair as we unboarded our plane only to be driven to a port of call about an hour later. The ship was massive—something along the lines of a cruiser that you would see in a Carnival Cruise commercial. It was called the Helena and it catered to the wealthy. Obviously, Darius hadn't been stingy with the expenses. I gawked as we were led onto the first deck only to run into Tommy's back as he stopped suddenly to produce his boarding pass.

"Not planning on knocking me overboard, are you Harrison?" Tommy asked sweetly as I stomped onto his toe once I uprighted myself.

"Don't push it, Quincy." I stated simply as a woman dressed in a colorful flowing red dress smiled at us before motioning toward what I assumed were our quarters situated somewhere near the lower decks. I stalked down the stairs as she handed me a key to one of the rooms ceremoniously before pointing at one of the doors down the hall of the ship. I groaned when I noticed Tommy insert a key into the door next to mine. Just my luck. And then I gasped. Dear God, Darius was expecting miracles from his little crew—either that or this was one hell of a form of severance pay. He wasn't even making us bunk with anyone. I gaped at the small curtain lined bed and Jacuzzi tub in the corner—also surrounded by a small curtain as well as a mini bar, a vanity, and a nice cozy arm chair with lots of soft lighting. It was a small room mostly because it was on a ship but the amenities made up for it.

"Please tell me yours has a mini bar too." I stated wryly as I noticed Tommy's head sticking through my door. He just chuckled. I was in too much awe to even try to be angry at him at the moment.

"Jude Harrison speechless? I'll have to remember your penchant for luxury." He stated simply as I bounced onto the edge of the bed only to sink down into the soft mattress several inches before righting myself. Oh my God, it was like lying on a cloud!

"And the angels in heaven started to sing a chorus line of hallelujahs." I remarked with a sigh as Tommy shook his head before coming into the room warily—looking up as if he were afraid a bucket of mud would fall onto his head or something.

"I haven't had time to booby trap the place, Quincy, if that's what you're worried about. Although give me a couple of hours and you may have reason to fear for your life." I stated dryly as Tommy quirked a brow. I could tell he was almost amused by my anger. Strange how my triteness seemed to attract the man instead of dispel him. Maybe they should make a perfume called Outrage? I could just see myself rolling around in the sheets with some hot looking guy like Britney Spears did in that commercial for her line of fragrance. The bed suddenly felt like the last place I needed to be as that image assaulted me while looking over at Tom who happened to look up at me at the same moment. Our gazes collided, and fire ignited in his eyes.

"God, what I'd pay for the thought that just went through your head." Tommy said in a whisper as I realized my emotions had probably been written all over my face like the open cover of a book. I retreated back within myself as Tommy skirted the bed so that he stood in front of me. I almost cringed at the feelings that swept over me.

"Did you know that the city we just flew into is nicknamed the 'Island of love'?" Tommy asked in a low tone as I shrugged before edging past him toward the open door.

"You've been reading too many brochures." I stated numbly as I walked out into the hall to hear Tommy mumbling from behind me.

"Have I?" He asked.

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**Author's Note: Interesting fact. Papeete is nicknamed the Island of Love. I research all the locations thoroughly before using them in my stories. Lots of love to you guys and see you again tomorrow. Did I remember a disclaimer for this story? Oh well, I don't own Instant Star or the characters. Love to you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

There's something about the South Pacific—the Polynesian influence that drew me to it indomitably. It seemed forbidden somehow—a world captivated by sensuality and beauty even lust. I stood now on the uppermost deck of the ship—staring out over the turquoise water as the cruiser sliced through the waves, and I sighed. This place made me feel powerful—less vulnerable somehow. Our first stop was Moorea, and I was awaiting the docking of the ship as Tommy suddenly drew up beside me. I didn't even have to glance over at him to know who it was.

"There was a guide telling me that Tahiti is a world ruled by the Vahine—by the women of the South Pacific. You should worry, Quincy. We are now in the domain of the iron-fisted woman." I stated wryly as Tom shifted next to me.

"Should I fear for my sanity then?" He asked in an amused tone as I finally glanced over at him. He was looking out over the waves and his eyes reflected the color of the water below perfectly. I smiled. He had let me go once. I wanted to show him why that had been the wrong decision.

"I don't know, Quincy. You should worry more about the idea that this place promotes independence—a separation from the norm." I replied vaguely as I turned to walk toward our group who had gathered along the top of the deck—lining up to unboard onto the first island on our itinerary—Moorea. Following everyone down, I let my bare feet sink into the white pearlescent sand before marching ahead toward the lagoons where the visitors were gathered.

"Look Spied!" I cried out as I approached him from the side—startling him out of the strange game he seemed to be playing with himself by discovering exactly how much sun tanning lotion he could apply to the open spaces afforded his body. I lifted a wary brow.

"See those sharks out there? Yeah, I bet they'll enjoy a dry roasted Spiederman." I stated on a chuckle as he looked up at me with a grimace.

"Is that supposed to be a joke, Harrison?" He asked as he threw Jamie an amused glance as Jamie walked by fully decked out in blue jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and sunglasses. I laughed too.

Because you did know that's tanning lotion not sunscreen, right?" I asked Spied as he shrugged with a sheepish grin.

"I need a tan to impress the local chicks. Might as well speed up the process." Spied commented as I just chuckled warily. Why did I have a feeling he was going to regret that? I could see Sadie motioning at me wildly from the distance and I made my way over to her slowly—enjoying the warmth of the sun as it soaked into my skin only to have my attention diverted by a bare chested Tom Quincy as he walked by lathered in Monoi lotion which made his skin glisten in the light. I almost tripped over the traditional Poreo sarongs all of us girls were wearing as I finally managed to make it over to Sadie, although not without a very distinguished blush. At least I could blame the embarrassed color on the sun.

"They let you swim with dolphins on this island." Sadie squealed as I just lifted a bare shoulder in amusement. It was good to be able to get excited about something.

"I'm guessing you want me to go into the lagoon with you. I mean, you did know they also let you swim with sharks too, right?" I stated simply as she nodded before dragging me into the water. I'm guessing the dolphin idea out ruled any fear of the meat eating predators. The warm surf was soothing as it flowed over our feet, and I swam through the waves next to my sister as the dolphins approached us—sticking their noses against our palms as if in desperate need to be petted. I laughed as they swam around us. Hey, this wasn't so bad. Sadie drifted away from me as she followed the pod with the rest of the tourists as I watched the dolphin I had been touching duck under the waves to be with his family. I was just about to follow the group when something grabbed my leg and pulled me under the waves. I sucked in a mouth full of salt water as I panicked—kicking my legs and arms furiously only to find myself suddenly pulled up the length of Tom Quincy's body.

"Not scared of sharks, are you?" He asked on a laugh as I brushed my wet hair out of my face furiously. Hitting him in the chest once I realized who had pulled me under, I watched him only smile in amusement as I threw a handful of water into his face.

"God! I could dismember you right now!" I cried out in annoyance as Tommy just laughed. Jesus! The scent of the coconut lotion he had spread across his flesh suddenly tantalized my senses as I realized my hand was still resting along his torso. I pushed away from him.

"Let go of me!" I gasped out as he raised a brow before I waded toward the shore away from him. The sun was beginning to set on our first day in Tahiti since we had arrived in Papeete around lunch that afternoon anyhow, and I watched the local Polynesians gathering along the shoreline. A sudden realization hit me, and I grinned as I glanced back at Tommy who was now standing just behind me in the lapping waves. I could feel the heat from his skin as he looked down at me.

"You want to prove your prowess, Quincy? There's your chance." I stated simply as I pointed to the group of muscled men being cheered on by the crowd. Tommy just shook his head at the local stone lifting contest going on as the visitors celebrated with the local families.

"I don't need to prove myself." Tommy replied simply as I just bit my lip to keep from chuckling.

"And here I thought I heard you brag to Kwest the other day about how much weight you could lift now at the gym" I remarked loudly enough that a few of the people from our group looked over. Spied and Kwest grinned devilishly. Tommy had no choice now. He had his pride to defend, and I watched him throw me a glare as he walked out of the waves toward the group.


	7. Chapter 7

"Don't drop the rock!" I goaded Tommy loudly as the locals cheered him on. He threw me a look as we all watched his biceps strain under the weight. I even found myself holding my breath as he lifted it up—up, up, and up it went until his arms were rigidly straight above his head. The people cheered and he dropped the stone wearily. I shrugged.

"Not bad." I stated simply as I watched the sweat that rolled down his chest in amusement. There were only three contestants left. I had not expected Tommy to even last as long as he had. I was more than duly impressed—I was trying my damndest not to feel attracted to the fact. I suddenly felt like one of those gap-toothed cave women living in the Stone Age—picking their man by nothing more than physical prowess. Good God, this tropical environment was turning me into Tarzan's Jane. I shuddered.

"Are you satisfied yet?" Tommy hissed fiercely as he rubbed at his arms. I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit bad about his discomfort. Then I thought about the spider incident and the salt water dunking and I changed my mind. I just grinned instead.

"Careful Hercules, I'd save your anger for the rock." I stated simply as he narrowed his eyes. Something told me I was really in for it now. Tom turned as one of the three men left in the event dropped the boulder—leaving Tom and a large Polynesian man as the only two left in the competition.

"You're already guaranteed the silver." I teased as he kicked sand over the arch of my foot before walking back over to the rock. I held my breath again as he leaned down and lifted it—watching in fascination as the veins in his arms protruded—as his biceps began to shake once the rock got halfway into the air. I suddenly felt myself doing something I had not meant to do—I started cheering him on—even leaning over onto the sand near his feet along with everyone else from the studio.

"Come on, Tom! Just a little higher!" I encouraged as he glanced down at me before putting all of his efforts into it. He finally got it straight into the air before waiting for the sign that told everyone he had achieved victory. I yelled before covering my mouth quickly once I realized what I was doing. Tommy smiled wickedly as if he was completely aware of my slip in decorum. Oh Damn! He edged over to me as his breaths came out ragged.

"Not tired are you?" I asked on a small grin as he threw me a _'screw you'_ look before resting his arm on my shoulder. I moved away as the second contestant lifted the rock. I held my breath again hoping the man would redeem my pride by winning. No suck luck. He dropped the rock. Oh yeah, Tom was going to be once cocky son of a gun now. I looked over at him with a frown as he crossed his now tired arms across his chest cheerfully.

"I owe you one, Harrison. You've managed to raise my ranks in physical attributes and gain me a small worshipful following all at the same time." Tommy stated winsomely as I glanced at the Polynesian women watching him from the shoreline. I groaned. Leave it to me to try to embarrass the guy only to succeed in lifting him up. I grumbled as Darius came up to announce we needed to get back on board the ship. I had to formulate a plan—ughhhhhh! I watched Tommy's back as he practically limped toward the ship, and I knew then he had been affected by the activity more than he was willing to admit. That was his saving grace because then I knew I had truly gotten to him more than I first suspected or he wouldn't have tried so hard—wouldn't have put himself through so much pain. And then I felt bad again as I continued to watch him as we boarded the ship and headed toward our cabins. He walked into his room—leaving his door open as he went in before collapsing onto his bed. I sighed as I glanced behind me down the hall to see if anyone was looking before following him in. How come he could always make me feel so guilty? I closed his cabin door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: You guys are fantastic! I am so glad that you are enjoying this story so far. I am loving the tension between the two. It is too much fun to write and puts me in mind of my other fic 'Rescue Me.' Hopefully, I can live up to the wonderful moments that were in that story. Hope you guys have a wonderful day and I truly hope you enjoy. Hugs to you all. Please R&R. Angel422.

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"Please tell me you're not here to beat me up." Tommy groaned miserably up at me from the bed—his eyes shut tightly as he rolled from his stomach onto his back. I sighed as I walked over to the side of the mattress before taking a seat—hesitating a moment before reaching out my fingers and grabbing his forearm. He groaned again, and I knew then that by challenging him tonight I had pushed him further than he normally went even when working out. I winced before scooting back further onto the bed. He really made it so hard to hate him sometimes.

"Now, let me just inform you with very firm resolve before you make any wise cracks or smart, unintellectual remarks that this does _not_ mean that I, in any shape or form, feel any differently about you than I did before. All it does is confirm the fact that I _do_ have a conscience." I commented bitingly while standing up to grab the bottle of monoi oil I had smelled on his skin earlier before taking a seat again and grabbing his arm. I couldn't help but laugh as I poured a little of the residue into my palm before rubbing my hands together and laying them gently against his arm again—working the stuff in slow, firm circles into the now tight muscles located there. I felt my heart begin to beat a little too rapidly. Tom cringed.

"I feel like I'm a boxing coach medicating his or her boxer after a fight." I remarked in a low tone as I found myself chuckling at the thought. I saw a hint of a smile flit over Tom's face at the thought of that image as well. His eyes remained shut as I worked, and I was glad because I think if he had watched me work that I would have, without a doubt, lost my nerve. He sat up suddenly as if the pain demanded he not lay down anymore, and I sat next to him—still working until I could finally feel a little softening in the muscle tissue of the arm I was massaging at the moment. Tom sighed as I suddenly ran a finger over an old scar on his shoulder. I hesitated as I touched it again. If there was something I knew well, it was that all physical scars told a story—gave you a deeper look into the person that carried them. It made me curious.

"How did you get that scar?" I asked quietly as Tommy suddenly opened his eyes to look down at his shoulder before looking over at me.

"I fell off of a horse when I was a boy. The horse reared and clipped my shoulder with his hoof." Tommy stated softly as I quit moving under the intensity of his stare. I suddenly felt like I was suffocating. Tom winced as he leaned over to touch a small white mark near the base of my neck at my nape that was barely even noticeable to the human eye.

"How did you get yours?" He asked slowly as I almost closed my eyes at the sensations his fingers caused my skin. And then I almost laughed at the sudden memory.

"On a family vacation. I was seven and Jamie came with us that year to the farmhouse. Sadie had won another award—something to do with horses and jumping fences. I had written a song, but when I tried playing it for everyone, they ignored me and suggested we take Sadie out to celebrate instead. I ran away that night—or at least ran away the way a seven-year-old would. I packed a bag and hid in a tree. I slipped trying to climb back down it both cold and hungry the next morning and landed on my head. I had to have three stitches—which was big for a seven-year-old." I replied on a small laugh as Tommy looked away from me out into his room beyond.

"How did you get the scar on your forehead?" I asked gallantly as he shrugged.

"Believe it or not, that _was_ in a boxing match. It was a hobby of mine when I was a lot younger." He explained as I nodded before picking up the lotion again. His hand suddenly landed on the skin of my stomach right underneath my swimsuit top and right above my navel. I dropped the bottle without meaning to in shock as electricity shot through my body.

"And that one?" Tommy asked on a whisper as I looked down at his slightly tanned palm against my white skin. I gulped.

"I got that one when Jamie, Kat, and I decided it would be cool to start a cult—the initiation being we had to sleep on the grave of a famous person preferably a musician—Jamie's idea. You know how I am about horror movies. I chose my grave—only to panic when I heard something in the cemetery. I fell over a headstone trying to run back to Jamie's house." I remarked on a laugh as Tommy shook his head before chuckling. I watched him smile silently for a moment before getting involved in our little game of 'figure this out' that we seemed to be playing right now.

"This one?" I asked as he looked down at the hand I now had on his chest. His eyes met mine as I stood my ground—refusing to be intimidated by the heat I now saw in his gaze.

"A motorcycle accident." He remarked as he lifted up my hand to touch a scar at the tip of my finger. He didn't even have to ask me how I got it. I answered his unspoken question without thought.

"Cooking—or attempting to. Mom gave up trying to teach me after I tried opening my fingers up with the can opener instead of the can." I replied whimsically—only to find myself staring in shock at Tommy as he suddenly kissed the tips of my fingers—as if by doing so he was erasing the memories. My head swam. I couldn't do this. What were we doing? My heart was frozen. I almost stood up as Tommy suddenly placed his palm over my heart.

"And this scar?" He asked softly, silently implying my wounded heart as I just pulled away from him about the same time I felt a piece of ice chip away at my chest.

"I should go." I replied instead as I headed for the door. I had just placed my hand on the doorknob when I heard Tommy sit up more in the bed.

"You are my best friend. You did know that right?" Tom asked as I let my palm slip off the knob before turning back toward him. He was staring at me silently. He was lying to me. Kwest was his best friend. Although something in the back of my head told me he wouldn't be comparing scars with Kwest. But if I meant that much to him, why hadn't he shared with me the reasons he left? Why had left the way he did? He seemed to realize my dilemma.

"All people make mistakes, Jude." He whispered in a low tone as I shrugged before doing something else that surprised me. I walked over to him, sat down next to him, and wrapped my arms around his waist before laying my head against his chest. When was the last time we had hugged like this? Was it when I had finished the third album? Of course, it was. My eyes drooped as I listened to his heartbeat—relishing the fact that we were at least trying to be friends. It had been a long day. His hand settled into my hair as he hugged me to him.

"I'm sorry." I heard him whisper just as I managed to drift off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Going to try something a little different in this story and make Tom's Pov's first person instead of third. All opinions welcome.

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**The next morning…**

**Tommy…**

I looked down at her sleeping frame a moment pensively--trying to figure out how we had gotten to this point—how we had managed almost over two years of bickering and feuding to end up having emotions that I was having a hell of a time trying to figure out. Lust didn't even begin to explain the feelings that swept over me when I looked at her. She had no clue—no clue the kind of thoughts that ran through my head when I knew they shouldn't. She was a friggin' virgin for God's Sake, but two years of sleeping with women in an attempt to forget about her—in an attempt to drown out the roar in my head just wasn't working anymore. It wasn't as if she were some famous supermodel or better yet one of Hugh Heffner's Playboy bunnies. No, she didn't have a seductive bone in her body and yet she was more than seductive—she was downright frustrating the hell out of me. A cold shower sounded really good right now.

My muscles still burned from the exertion the day before, and I grimaced as I walked into the stall of the small bathroom—turning on the showerhead spray before marching into it while clenching my teeth against the cold. I let the frigidness soothe me as my mind wandered again back to her. She had changed a lot since we had met—transforming from the naïve, innocent rocker she had been to an angry rock princess scarred by life—by her family, by me. But her maturity now scared me shitless. Where her innocence had once intrigued me when Georgia had first introduced us, her anger and confidence downright turned me on. That was a problem for me mostly because I had become the champion of cold showers along with this recent absurd need of mine to grab a ciggarette. A knock at the door startled me out of my reverie, and I wrapped a towel around my waist before moving out of the bathroom. Jude stirred on the bed. There was another knock and then another.

"Dammit Tommy! Open up!" Darius called out suddenly from outside, and I froze. Shit! Jude seemed to come to the same realization because her eyes widened way beyond her already wide-eyed appearance both at the sound of Darius's voice and at the sudden realization that she had slept here. Shit! I motioned for her to get up and go into the bathroom. She nodded, but Darius had already started turning the knob on my door and I didn't realize until too late that it wasn't locked. Of course Jude wouldn't have locked it the night before. She would have assumed she didn't have a reason to—only dirty minded producers seemed to think along those lines.

"T, I have a problem with…"Darius began until he noticed my towel clad figure and a very rumpled Jude Harrison standing stoically now behind me. The anger in his face was way beyond the normal realm of comprehension. I knew his policies. I was, after all, his employee and although Jude was eighteen now, inter-office relationships especially between the staff and the artists was strictly prohibited. We were not in a relationship, but this situation did not look good. Not good at all.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Jude..._**

I looked between Darius's expression and Tommy's stoic figure and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was going to be bad—that it was going to be worse than the catastrophe that sunk the legendary city of Atlantis—worse than the infamous volcano Krakatoa. Darius just stood there for a moment probably allowing explicit images to flit throughout his brain making the situation worse. I sighed—getting ready to speak, to argue—anything. Hell, I'd just love to know what kind of explicit things he was imagining us doing. It was probably a hell of a lot more exciting than sleeping.

"You're fired.' Darius suddenly stated flatly with such unexpected gusto that I found myself stunned speechless. I knew he was speaking to Tommy—knew that he blamed the man for anything that might have transpired despite the fact that coming into his room had been my decision—despite the fact that we had done nothing more than remedy our wounded friendship and I wasn't even sure about that yet.

"You can't do that." I found myself remarking weakly as Darius looked over Tommy's shoulder at me in angry dissatisfaction. Tom hadn't said anything. He just looked peaceful—too peaceful. Maybe that was his way of processing the shock—his way of keeping Darius from truly knowing how much he had been affected by the decision. I knew Tom, he'd stand on the sidelines until he found his opportunity to explode. I hated sidelines. I suddenly felt very light-headed—very hostile. I wasn't like Tommy. My emotions were about as explosive as Darius's –not to mention that _nothing_ had happened.

"I don't think I gave you a say in the matter." Darius remarked soundly through clenched teeth as I felt my jaw harden as well.

"Then I quit. When my contract comes up for renewal, I won't be signing it." I stated frankly as both Darius and Tommy turned toward me in surprise. I just shrugged.

"Nothing happened here, D, except that I fell asleep. Now, if you want something to have happened, then I suggest you leave for an hour or two and make another entrance into that doorway." I remarked wryly while Tommy coughed and Darius narrowed his eyes. I was just not in the mood for foreplay, excuse the pun. Darius shook his head.

"I don't know what happened here, but I'm not turning a blind eye to company policy. It's selfish to everyone else. Tommy, you can remain at G Majors, but you're being pulled as Jude's producer. The two of you need space as I see it anyway. Now go change. I've discussed a possible island concert—televised of course—for the end of this vacation. I want the staff to be working on ideas. Until we leave Tahiti, Tom you're still working with the group. After that, you're assigned to another artist. You got that. And I wouldn't advise arguing about it or its your job." Darius announced firmly and with fierce resolve as I just stood there feeling more than just a little uncomfortable. What had I done? I should have just left Tommy to suffer last night. I wasn't even sure why I had come into the room anyway. Why I had felt compelled to feel pity for him. I didn't loathe him anymore. No, I couldn't deny that we were friends, but I could deny any connection with him other than that—could deny that I needed him because the way I saw it, he needed me more.

"What's that mean for me?" I asked Darius quietly before he turned to exit the room. He stopped in the entrance of the doorway.

"You can help choose your new producer when the time comes." He murmured in a low tone before walking out. I just sighed as I looked over at Tommy. He looked down at me in return.


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm miserable." I heard Spiederman complain later as we unboarded the ship at the island of Maupiti. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his lobster red skin and mottled sun burned appearance. That's what he got for roasting himself in the sun for a quick tan. He was lucky he didn't have sun poisoning. I shook my head at him as a sound behind me caught my attention, and I turned just in time to see Tommy walking down the stairs toward the shore. We hadn't spoken much since the incident. It seemed to make us both put our relationship into perspective—a very peculiar perspective. Geez, it's not as if either of us had confessed some deep wonderful feelings for each other, although the massage I had given him still burned through my palms as if my hands were still on his skin. I couldn't keep the thought out of my head.

"Mother Teresa would be horrified at your thoughts." Tommy suddenly whispered next to me as I looked up into his face with cheeks blazing. He had no idea what I had been thinking. Had he? He just raised a brow at me knowingly as I walked across the island slowly—trying to capture the humor in the moment but failing when I thought back to Tom's cabin—listening as Darius told him he was fired. That completely dampened my spirits.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were about to cry, Jude Harrison." Tom stated simply as he followed me. I just rolled my eyes up at him. As if! The islands did strange things to you I guess because I almost felt brazen—like a harlot not afraid of the fact that she uses her body for a living.

"I don't cry, Quincy. I write songs. Which is what you and I were supposed to do together, right? We were supposed to find our lost music again—try to fix what life messed up for us. Only we always find ways to screw it up worse." I remarked with a sigh as I followed a trail down toward a group of caves. Petroglyphs were etched along the sides of the stone and I traced them as I continued to walk. Tommy just sighed as he followed.

"It was a misunderstanding, Jude. That's it. You'll do fine with whatever producer you're assigned and I'll still be working at the studio." Tommy replied as he edged up closer behind me. I could feel the heat from his skin as he got nearer and it disconcerted me.

"Hmmm…But will you be fine working with another artist, Tom?" I asked cheekily—hearing him take in a deep breath at my unexpected response. I couldn't help but smile at the surprise that must have flitted across his face.

"What are you doing, Jude?" Tommy asked me huskily as I walked down a stone embankment toward a crystal clear waterfall. The sight was mesmerizing and I watched as the water slid off the rocks into the basin below without finesse—with unhurried succession. I felt like a native getting ready to dive into the pool for a bath.

"I don't know anymore." I replied simply as I leaned against the rock behind me. I felt Tommy move in closer, and I closed my eyes.

"Have you ever seen that movie 'The Blue Lagoon' with Brooke Shields and some blonde headed guy stranded on a island out in the middle of nowhere—no rules, no restrictions, no one to hurt except themselves?" I asked Tom quietly as he put a hand suddenly on my shoulders.

"What kind of rules would you want broken, Jude?" He asked softly as I stared into the cascading lagoon. It was a deadly question to answer—almost like a snake coiled up ready to strike.


	12. Chapter 12

I looked over at Tommy steadily—noting the creases in the furrows between his brows as if he were worried about something—as if something were eating away at his soul. It made the ice in my stomach grow harder.

"Why don't we just quit dancing around the issue, Jude?" He asked softly as I looked back down the stone pathway at the waterfall. It's clear roaring noise drowned out the groan that escaped from my throat as he approached me from behind. I backed away from him without thinking—too afraid of the feelings that suddenly rushed along my skin—too afraid of letting him close again when he still seemed so confused himself. One of us needed to not be confused. One of us needed to be the practical one.

"What rules would you have be broken?" Tommy asked me again in a low whisper—backing me up against the stone embankment as if he were a predator stalking its prey. I didn't even look at him as I grabbed at the stone—letting the cool, hard feel of it erase the fear of having him know he still meant something to me.

"The only way that would matter, Tom, is if you were one of those people who believed that the rules were made to be broken. You are not one of those people. You never have been. Or maybe you were once and circumstance changed that, but I am not here for you to guess with. I am not here for you to use as this sounding board—for you to decide one minute that its worth breaking the rules and then the next deciding that it isn't." I stated frankly as he just peered over at me a moment before pushing away from the wall. I could see him shaking his head, and I knew he was fighting the feelings again—turning away from that major decision to take that final step. I'll be damned if I was letting him walk away from me again so I turned to walk away from him instead—shoving at a curtain of vines as Tommy grabbed me suddenly by the arm. I pulled away hard only to feel my bare toes slipping off the edge of a precipice, and I screamed as I felt Tommy slip too. The roar of the waterfall drowned out our cries as we fell, and the next thing I knew there was only darkness—cold darkness. What the hell?

* * *

**_Tommy…_**

Tommy kept his eyes closed against the ache that now spread throughout his head afraid to open his eyes—afraid that it would hurt worse. What the hell had happened? He stretched his hands outward away from his body—feeling the space to ensure that it was sound. He felt stone and grains of sand before his fingers landed on something else entirely. This object was warm—it was human. Jude. His eyes flew open as he sat up in the dim interior of what appeared to be a small cave. Shit! He leaned over Jude's prone figure—watching with relief as she opened her eyes slowly. Dear God, it was just like the two of them to end up in this kind of predicament. He groaned. Now, they just had to figure a way out.

"Wake up, Jude. Come on now, I need you to get up." He murmured as she sat up slowly next to him—allowing his arm to rest against her back for support. He sighed. He needed to go to hell for the way he felt for her sometimes—the way he treated her because of it. He shifted his attention to possible injuries instead—running his hands along her body to feel for any scrapes or wounds. She groaned.

"If you keep doing that Tommy, we're never going to get out of here." She hissed as he laughed at her wary expression. He drew back—sitting back on his heels as she managed to get herself into a sitting position.

"I always knew you'd take me to the bottom of the world and back again, Quincy. I just didn't think it would be literally." Jude stated jokingly—trying to break the tension that now filled the space. They seemed to have this knack for getting locked into places together or stuck if you're hunting for a simpler word. Remembering the day of Jude's seventeenth birthday, Tommy grinned.

"We could have least managed to get stuck somewhere with a couch." He said quietly as Jude gave him a scathing look. Oh yeah, this was going to be a long long day—at least he hoped it would only be a day. He had no intentions of ending up the extra on that show Lost. No intentions at all.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Oh my God! You guys I finally managed to get a story to upload on here. Thank God! Have you guys missed me? And Undiscovered91 (who by the way has put up with my ranting about the site) I managed to upload by pasting my story from word to notepad. You have to go back in and edit everything since the format doesn't upload like it would from word but hey at least we can post. Thanks to you guys who have checked in on me--xxecstacy, musical-cynders, Tommys21, JackJackio, Tanya50801 and any others that have been checking for updates. I love all of you guys! Oh and just have to give a shout out to Blondenhot. Your story Everytime has promise. And Musical-Cynders for your story From Hello to Goodbye. Love ya. Are you guys ready for an update? Give me a shout Yay! Smiles. Please R&R.**

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"This is unbelievable!" I stated dryly as I looked around the small space—searching for any way out whatsoever. The only exit I saw was a dark tunnel that stretched out behind Tommy for Lord knows how far. I couldn't help but shudder.

"You don't think there's spiders down there, do you?" I asked Tommy warily as he just cocked a brow before grinning mischievously.

"It is the tropics and I have heard that tarantulas are attracted to bananas and other such fruits." Tommy replied as I shrieked before scooting closer to him. I was not being a girl! I just didn't like spiders—there's a long story in there about why, but I won't delve too deeply into it now.

"You better be lying to me, Tom Quincy, or I'll make sure and let them have you for dinner first." I stated caustically as Tommy shrugged—knowing good and well by not answering me, he was only confirming my fears. Shit!

"Fine then, Big Tarzan take the lead, little Jane follow after." I remarked while pounding my chest like Godzilla. Tom just stared uneasily down the tunnel I had been discussing before.

"There's no telling where that leads, Jude. We're probably better off staying right here." Tommy uttered as I just shook my head vehemently. If he wanted to perish in this little damp hole, fine by me, but I was not going to wait around and see how he fared.

"Sure, Tom. There's a group of vines hiding the hole we fell through who knows how long ago since we both blacked out and the roar of the waterfall camouflages any yells we attempt to send out over the sound waves. Sure, it'll be no time at all before the place is crawling with rescuers." I remarked sarcastically as Tommy just rolled his eyes.

"Be a little more dramatic, Jude. Please." He implored as he drifted over to the opening—peering down into it warily as if looking long and hard enough would make something materialize out of the darkness. I just sighed before marching over to him and shoving him through the hole.

"Hey!" He cried out as I grabbed a hold of his arm to follow him in. It was dark inside and the chill crept up over my skin eerily as I made my way behind Tommy—biting my lip to keep from squealing whenever my bare feet stepped on something slimy. It was just moss, right? God, I could just see the headlines now. '_Singing sensation Jude Harrison and Tom Quincy of the Boyz Attack Fame disappear in Tropical Paradise: Foul Play or Elopement?'_ Yeah, there'd be as many sightings of us as there was of Elvis. I loved the King, but I had no intention of joining him in the afterworld of spontaneous tabloid headlines. Tom grunted as I stumbled into his back for the umpteenth time in the past hour. Had it been an hour?

"Tarzan is about to get behind Jane if you rear end me one more time." Tommy grumbled as I rubbed him between the shoulders in a consolatory manner—hoping to dispel that thought from his brain. I was not about to take the lead. I screamed as something moved over my foot, and Tommy yelped as I dug my nails into his back and I could just imagine his grimace as I shivered.

"Jesus!" Tommy proclaimed as he continued on—moving slower this time as I clung to his back.

"I think you have your metaphysical worlds mixed up, Tommy. The last time I checked the Almighty lived up where there's always sunshine and roses. I'm thinking we're more in the realm of his nemesis right now." I stated on a pant as my calves began to burn. Damn, did this tunnel ever end? Tommy stopped suddenly and I slammed into his back.

"That was so not my fault this time." I pointed out as Tommy told me to hush before pointing in front of him. Thank God, I could see the light. Wait. Shouldn't that bother me? Wasn't there something about death and a light at the end of the tunnel?

"Don't even go there, Jude Harrison. It doesn't take a psychic to know what you're thinking." Tommy muttered as I just grinned before shrugging. So, I had a wicked imagination. Sue me.


	14. Chapter 14

I pushed ahead of Tommy—excited by the idea that there was light ahead, and I could feel him following more slowly from behind me. What? Was he afraid I'd jump on his back again? I stepped gingerly down onto the floor of the cave as the way grew slippery—narrowing my eyes at the puddles of water I suddenly found myself stepping into until the end of the cave finally opened up in front of me and I peered out of it incredulously. So, It opened up at the entrance of another waterfall—this one much more grander than the one that had been elsewhere on the island. Tom drew up next to me.

"Wow! This is amazing." He exclaimed as I nodded mutely before glancing to see how we were supposed to get down.

"I think we're going to have to jump." I noted a minute later as I realized there were no ledges or anything to climb down onto. Tommy stared over at me in horror.

"We are not jumping!" He declared as I just looked over at him pointedly—knowing without a doubt that the man had a thing for heights. The vision from the airplane ride over to Papeete suddenly sprang into my mind and I laughed.

"Fine, you can stay here then." I announced as I peeled off the wet t-shirt I was wearing over my bikini. It wasn't like the shirt wasn't going to get wetter as I hit the water below, but I just liked watching Tommy's expression as I took it off. Yeah, sad I know, but hey, I liked the idea that he found me attractive even if he fought the impulse.

"You coming with me or not?" I asked him quickly as he sighed before finally nodding reluctantly. I laughed as I reached out and took his hand. It felt good to hold his palm in mine, and I shivered as I realized I wished we could just stay this way—no inhibitions, no worries--but we had lives we had to live too—pasts we had to face. Why couldn't love just be simple—between two people that connected despite anything else.

"On the count of three?" I asked simply as Tommy nodded. We both got ready to leap.

"One…Two…THREE!" I shouted as we both sprung forward, and I screamed before laughing as the air rushed around us—cooling our skin before we landed in the clear blue lagoon below, letting the water cushion our fall as we landed. I spluttered as I broke the surface before running a hand over my face and looking for Tom. He came up next to me.

"Remind me to pack a survival kit the next time anyone even suggests a vacation." Tommy muttered as he spat out excess water before digging his muscular arms into the liquid as he moved toward the shore. I watched him as he lifted up out of the lagoon—observing as the water clung to him in worshipful droplets as if he were Poseidon—the mythical king of the sea. I so wanted to be that water right now.

"Done staring, Jude, or are you planning on turning into a mermaid?" Tommy asked in an amused tone as I realized he had caught me ogling him. I started swimming towards him to hide the blush that suddenly rode my cheeks. I didn't need him to know that I thought about him so much.

"Now what?" I asked as I came to stand next to him. He just shook his head as he looked out over the rocky shore. I could see a few huts in the distance, and I watched as he pointed at them.

"Now we ask the locals how to get back to where we started." Tommy replied as I nodded at him as if I was impressed by his candor.

"Wow, a man asking for directions? Who would have thought?"


	15. Chapter 15

I followed behind Tommy slowly as I wrung my hair out onto the ground below—watching as the droplets beaded up on the sand like pebbles on a rocky road. It seemed almost poetic—demented as that sounds because I couldn't help but feel like one of those droplets right now—a bead of water that evaporates in the sun. This moment was a fleeting one and I knew it.

"Can you tell us where the ship the Helena is docked?" Tommy asked a passing woman quickly as she just shook her head and frowned.

"I think it left port an hour ago. You two vacationers? Married maybe?" The woman asked brightly as we both shook our heads vehemently. Yeah, you could say we were in a relationship—of the work related kind, but it wasn't anything close to the fairytale dream this woman seemed to be envisioning. No, Hank Williams Jr. would have a blast with the two of us. Yeah…anyway, I glanced over at the bungalows behind the lady and sighed.

"We're stranded?" I asked Tommy uncertainly as he shrugged. Obviously we were if the damn ship was gone. I looked around slowly until I noticed a souvenir shop on the corner. I tapped Tommy on the shoulder before pointing over at it.

"You think they might know anything?" I asked him in a low tone as he followed the direction of my finger with his gaze while quickly thanking the woman we had been talking to before making his way over to that location. I just followed. Why not? It wasn't like either one of us could walk away from each other now. I smiled as a pretty Vahine girl looked up from the desk as we walked into the small building.

"Hi." I called out as I glanced uncertainly at Tommy. "Do you know anything about the ship the Helena?" I asked her quickly as she looked between the two of us curiously.

"Actually, there were some people searching for some missing passengers from that boat. After searching all day, the ship had to depart for the next island because of the other passengers, but I think they still have a notice out here. Why don't I help you get a message to the ship letting your group know you're okay? That's why we have radios here, and then we can get you guys on the next boat to the next island on that itinerary. I hope. If not, we can get you on a ship with a similar itinerary so that it will eventually meet up with the Helena. We can talk costs later." The girl said slowly as I just sighed in relief. That sounded great to me.

"Thank you." I replied slowly as I looked up at Tom. He just looked into my face uncertainly. I knew what he was thinking. How the hell did we get ourselves into these messes? Jesus! The girl leaned over to talk into her radio rapidly before smiling at us suddenly.

"Don't worry. You'd be surprised how many people will wander away from their ports. It happens all the time. We found a ship—The Poseidon—that can accommodate you. It comes in and leaves in the morning, but we can put you up in a bungalow for tonight over the lagoon." She stated sunnily as Tommy and I just nodded simultaneously. What else were we supposed to do?

"The lady who owns the rentals is in the house four doors down." The girl replied as we thanked her again before buying a few shirts and stuff and heading in that general direction. I was already tired.

_Roaring melodies on the eve of trepidation _

_I walk toward my fate with high expectation_

I sang suddenly as Tommy glanced over at me. Strange how inspiration can hit at odd times.


	16. Chapter 16

The lady at the bungalow rental place was, for lack of a better word—spacy—sappy maybe? Let's just say she had watched way too many John Hughes Romantic comedies in her lifetime and it showed.

"You want rental." She asked haltingly as she stared between the two of us brightly. I just nodded as I held up two fingers.

"Two." I requested firmly as she stared at me as if she didn't understand or, let me rephrase that, as if she didn't comprehend English. Something told me it was more an act—that she liked playing around with unsuspecting tourists. She looked at Tom and wagged her brows.

"Timid is she? Waiting maybe for right time? Ahhh, but we should give you two excitement, huh?" She asked as she suddenly picked up a bell and rang it loudly. I just stared at her in horror. What the hell was she doing? A group of Polynesians flooded the room decked out in leis and traditional clothing while smiling as if they had done this act before. I backed away from the desk. Tommy leaned over my shoulder.

"We just want rooms." He stated simply as the lady raised a brow before frowning. She looked like she wanted to throw a coconut at us. And then she smiled again.

"Rooms we have, but I will give to you for free—no cost later if you try out some of our luxury services." The lady commented as I just sighed. This was definitely something out of a National Lampoon's movie. I just looked at Tom and nodded as if saying '_Just give the damn woman what she wants so we can get on with it_.' And he nodded in return as if agreeing with me. The lady clapped her hands together and said something in her native tongue, and I watched with growing unease as a group of women motioned for me to follow them while a group of men motioned at Tommy. The worst part of it was being separated from Tom only because I had no idea what most of these people were saying or doing and, forgive me people, but lack of comprehension really bothers me. It never bodes well.

"You will be beautiful when we are done." One of the girls stated happily as they led me into a hut several feet from the main building—pointing at a table there as if they expected me to understand these miniscule hand gestures.

"You lay down. We massage you." The lady explained as I lifted a brow. Massage? Okay, maybe this wasn't so very bad. I just shook my head slightly as I followed their instructions—laying out on the table as they surrounded me—handing each other bottles of monoi oil before suddenly getting to work. I closed my eyes at the sensation—almost sighing in utter content as the women worked—rubbing the tension that had gathered in my muscles out of my tissues and sinews and I let my mind wander. Was this what relaxation felt like? Because I could seriously more than get used to this—I could wallow in the glow.

"We need to dress you now." The women stated a little later as I sat up before cocking a brow up at them. Dress me? I was already dressed. They started pulling at my clothes.

"Hey now!" I protested as they brought out a traditional sarong type dress made specifically it seems for the islands. I just eyed it as I shrugged. I just wanted the free room now for heaven's sake.

"Now we'll take you to see your man." One of the women stated after getting the dress on me and draping my neck with leis. My man? How far from the truth was that, but I was done trying to correct these people. For now, my man it was. And where was Tommy? What were they doing to him? And why was I getting a very bad feeling about this?

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**Author's Note: Bear with me people. This is about to get very interesting. Lots of love to you all. Smiles and hugs. Youguys are so fantastic. I love it everytime I check my email account and hear what you guys have to say. It makes my day. Thank you for reading and staying with me. Love and hugs to all.Angel422**


	17. Chapter 17

**_Tom…_**

The fact that Tom had tried two different languages on the men hoping that they would speak anything except the native tongue they were now using bothered him. He shifted uncomfortably on the sands of the beach where he had been carried off to as the men circled him skeptically before pulling out what looked like a tattoo kit—undoing the end of a needle as they dipped it securely into a black liquid that smelled suspiciously of hemp. At least Tom could rest assured that whatever they were doing wasn't permanent.

"Anyone here mildly interested in telling me what's going?" Tommy asked in a slightly irritated tone as all of the men grinned before shaking their heads. Well, there went that idea. The gestures made Tommy more than a little nervous. It made him antsy. He hated not being in control of a situation but, with very little money and no cruise ship until tomorrow, he figured he didn't have much choice except to let the day progress on its eerie course. The sound of the needle hitting his skin made him wince as he watched the men start sculpting what appeared to be a tribal symbol along the lines of his biceps. Great! He was now a human totem pole. Maybe this wouldn't be like Joe Vs. the Volcano where Tom Hanks is sacrificed to the gods to prevent an eruption. Were there volcanoes on this island? Tom clenched his teeth together as the needle dug deeper into his skin before the men finally backed away to peruse their art work critically—nodding as they all slapped each other on the back and smiled whimsically. Tom shrugged.

"Now all you guys need are a couple of bags of salty potato chips and a case of beer and you'd have a party going on." Tom stated dryly as the men just grew quiet before staring at him with a frown. What? Did he say something wrong? The sound of drums behind him made Tom cringe. Why did he suddenly feel like there was some sort of festival being started here that revolved around his and Jude's presence? Where was she anyway? Tom tapped one of the men on the shoulder.

"Could you tell me where the girl I came with is?" Tom asked curiously as he crossed his fingers in an attempt to help his chances of getting a positive answer. The man shrugged and smiled before pointing a finger out towards the ocean and Tommy turned around warily—staring out into the water as a strange raft with a throne-like chair erected in its center moved toward the shore. A beautiful girl was seated on it cloaked in a sarong like dress with a crown of flowers adorning her head and Tommy had to squint a moment in bewilderment before he realized it was Jude. Well, wasn't this surreal? It was like watching something out of a dream—with the fantasy descending upon reality a little too quickly for the occupants to grasp what was actually going on. Jude just stared back at him in equal confusion—the fire from surrounding torches reflecting in her eyes as the raft scooted up to the shore while several of the guys that had been annoying Tom for the past two hours walked forward to help Jude out—escorting her in a strange gentleman-like fashion over to Tom. She raised a brow up at his tattoo covered arm as she approached.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" She whispered conspiratorially as Tommy shrugged. She wasn't the only one.

"Maybe this'll wind down soon and they'll let us go." Jude continued as Tommy laughed. Jude almost made it sound like they were captives. Ugh! Maybe they were. A Vahine girl started singing as a man dressed in flamboyant garb moved to stand in front of Tommy and Jude before grabbing each of their hands and speaking in fast, native precision—gesturing wildly as he commenced before tapping Jude and Tom both on the foreheads and then motioning at the guests to let them know they could dance.

"Tis now done." The man replied in broken English as Tom stared up at the guy in horrible curiosity.

"What's done?" Tom asked as Jude placed a hand over her mouth. Something was starting to click in her brain too. The man grinned.

"Your wedding of course." He announced with a clap as Jude almost fainted. Oh hell no! The crowd swarmed toward them.

"Time to carry them off to the bridal suite!" A voice cried out as everyone clapped and cheered. Bridal Suite? Wedding? What the hell!

"This is a mistake. You must be kidding!" Jude called out as everyone continued to shout and sing—ignoring the protests of the couple as they surged forward.

"If it makes you feel better, it's a non-binding ceremony. It won't stand up in a court of law outside this country!" Someone yelled as Tom and Jude both glanced down into the apologetic expression of the girl from the gift shop. The crowd still moved.

"And let the rites begin." A woman cried out as both Jude and Tom were shoved quickly into a bungalow strewn with flowers before the door was shut and the sound of a key turning was heard throughout the room as the lock clicked. Oh hell!


	18. Chapter 18

**_Jude..._**

This wasn't happening…this wasn't happening….this was _NOT_ happening! Dear God! Can I just say that sometimes my world truly does seem surreally twisted—completely and utterly off its damn axis? For example, right now as I jiggled the knob of the door for the umpteenth time, all I could do was chant silently as I swore at fate itself while slowly contemplating murder. Yep, that's right—murder. Jesus! This was not happening! Tommy edged up behind me and placed his hand firmly on top of mine.

"Doing that isn't going to make it open any faster, Jude. Try breathing. Hell, just join me in a nice little ritual consisting of sitting on the bed, realizing that this is not a dream, and then thinking about logical ways to react to the situation." Tommy proclaimed as I threw him a scathing look before pushing his hand off of mine. Sitting on the bed would not help. It would complicate things. Trust me.

"Here's to being logical." I commented as I suddenly pounded on the door and screamed out my frustration.

"You friggin' lunatics! Let us out of here!" I yelled through the wood as Tommy balanced an arm above my head before leaning against the wall and staring down at me in amusement.

"Oh, yeah. That's being logical, Harrison. By tomorrow morning, you'll have them so riled, they might just decide to keep us here." Tom muttered as I kicked the door one last time for good measure before turning around, slouching against the wall, and sliding down to the floor in irritated defeat. Dammit! Tom slid down beside me. He even leaned over enough to pick a flower up off of the floor before tucking it behind my ear and shrugging.

"Look at it this way, Mrs. Quincy. We can celebrate and get drunk off champagne." Tom mumbled laughingly as I took a deep, calming breath before elbowing him in the ribs.

"You really find this amusing, don't you?" I asked him incredulously as he rubbed his rib cage scowlingly before shrugging.

"Well, if you want me to be honest then, yeah I do. At least our accommodations are better than theirs." Tommy declared as he pointed down at the glass bottomed foor. The bungalows sat over clear lagoons, and they were designed to intrigue tourists by allowing them to view the marine life as they slept. Right now, I just found myself staring down into the bugged eyes of a fish, and I couldn't help but laugh too. Okay, so this wasn't your ordinary vacation? At least it wasn't boring right? However, that did not change the fact that I was now sitting in a room with only one bed and a glass floor with a man tempting enough to eat off of—literally—as we both stared quite fiercely at a large bottle of champagne. Oh God!

"You look a little pale, Harrison." Tom commented mildly as he stood up slowly before stripping off the open white shirt that had been slipped onto him following the ceremony as the crowds had pushed us toward this room. The sight of him made my breath hitch even after the past couple of days—days that had been filled with a bare chested Quincy. Maybe it was the tan he sported now. Who knows.

"I'm fine." I mumbled as I stood up too and walked over to the edge of the bed before slowly untying the back of the sarong-style dress—appeased by the fact that Tom was now frozen in one spot—staring as if his life depended on each unveiling inch until he realized, probably with quite a bit of disappointment, that I was still wearing my swimsuit underneath. I had to fight to hide my smile as I shrugged.

"Who's looking pale now?" I asked him sincerely as he grabbed the champagne bottle—found what he needed to uncork it before tilting it up and downing a hefty swallow. Hmmm, so I had unnerved him huh? I narrowed my eyes This may not be so bad after all.


	19. Chapter 19

"You're complicating things, Harrison." Tommy muttered huskily underneath his breath as I looked up at him with a frown—lying back on the bed as I did.

"Don't I always?" I asked quietly as Tom watched me a minute in silence—staring, I think, at the way I was sprawled out before walking toward me slowly while holding out the champagne bottle as if he thought I needed it as much as he did. I just shook my head at it. Who needs to be out of control when you already felt out of control, if that makes sense? Tom just shrugged.

"Suit yourself." He muttered as he upended the bottle again before setting it down on the floor and letting himself fall down onto the bed beside me—his head at my feet, and my head at his feet. I laughed sardonically.

"Damn if life doesn't like handing us lemons…" I remarked softly as Tommy elbowed me in the legs.

"Then make lemonade, Harrison." Tom intercepted as I pulled a hair gently on his leg, mostly to hear him yelp.

"And what if you don't have sugar, Tom?" I asked him curiously before sitting upright to stare down into his face. He sat up too.

"Then drink it sour, make a face, and keep on walking through life by finding ways to drown out the bitterness." Tom finished as I watched him a moment—letting my eyes trace the line of his jaw? Something told me he knew that from experience.

"Are we really talking about lemons?" Tom asked with a frown as I laughed before nodding. Yeah, we were really talking about lemons. He looked at me a moment before lying back down again. It was awkward for us, I guess, after his sudden absence and then return, after this strange vacation, and after the problems we'd had creating music together. I sat there a minute longer.

"I always keep a deck of cards in my beach bag." I stated suddenly with a shrug as Tom raised a brow up at me.

"Cards?" He asked as I laughed at his skeptical tone.

"You've never traveled with SME or my family. Sometimes it's best to keep entertainment options tucked away in case of emergencies." I mumbled as he grinned suddenly. Sudden grins made me nervous.

"You any good at Black Jack?" Tom asked quietly as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Tom, no one's good at Black Jack. It's a game of chance. You just hope you get lucky." I remarked as his grin grew wider.

"Then do you feel lucky tonight?" Tom asked in his best "Dirty Harry' impersonation as he leaned up onto his elbow. I eyed him a moment before leaning over so that my face was only mere inches away from his.

"It depends on what you mean by lucky. Are you a gambler, Quincy?" I asked dryly as he 'tsked tsked' in my general direction.

"Just grab your cards, Harrison, but I warn you that there will be ultimatums and we'll play only one hand." Tom replied as I slid off the bed and dug through my small bag before climbing back onto the mattress and staring him directly in the eyes.

"Ultimatums?" I asked as he took the deck and began shuffling it almost expertly before distributing the cards. He smiled again.

"If I win this hand, you have to share the bed." He commented as I laughed. So that was what he was up to.

"And if _I_ win the hand, you have to answer one important question for me." I said slowly as he pursed his lips a moment in doubt before nodding. I guess he didn't seem to feel worried about the question. I stared at him as he flipped over a card before looking down at it. It was an 8. I sighed as he grinned again while flipping over his card. It was an ace. He looked at me expectantly as I sighed before taking the plunge.

"Hit me." I called out as he put his hand on another card—stopping a moment just as I had started holding my breath.

"Are you sure?" He asked in that annoyingly arrogant sing-song voice he used when he was utterly too confident.

"Just hit me dammit!" I called out in exasperation as he chuckled before flipping over the card. It was a Jack. I had eighteen. I was not taking chances.

"I'll stay." I stated as he shrugged before looking up at me—directly into my eyes as I reached out for a blank card—turning it over slowly just as he said 'hit me.' It was a king. Damn it! I watched his eyes darken as he picked up the cards. "And that hand beats yours, Harrison." Tom pointed out as I rolled my eyes up at him. He laughed.

"But just to show you what a good sport I am, I'll still let you ask that question." Tom said quietly as I looked up at him uncertainly. Now that, I had not expected.

"Are you sure?" I asked slowly as he nodded. I took the cards from him and dropped them into my bag before moving over—close enough that I could feel the heat of his skin emanating in waves against the chill of mine. Was he sure he wanted me to ask? We were standing at the edge of something way too deep--to big maybe for both of us.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Ahhh! So great to have my internet back up. Please R&R. Lots of smiles and hugs.**

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"I might drink a couple of more swallows of that champagne if I were you." I murmured haughtily as Tommy grinned before raising a brow up at me in an expression that can only be described of as sassy. Yeah, you can just see that now can't you? Tom Quincy sassy? Ha! Alright, I'm done making fun of my vivid imagination now.

"That must be some question you have in mind, Harrison." Tom replied stoically as I shrugged before placing a hand against his chest—not to distract him but because I really wanted him to know how serious I was about this—how absolutely certain about the step I was taking.

"Who are you?" I finally asked as Tommy's face fell in a look of pure surprise. It wasn't what he was expecting I could tell, but then again why would it be? Did he expect me to ask him if he loved me, maybe if he wanted me? Because I had outgrown that petty need to know the answer to those questions a long time ago. No, I wanted more than that now. I wanted deep, soulful answers that touched on more than just 'do you have a crush on me, Quincy.' Tom laughed.

"What do you mean, who am I?" Tom asked as he stood up and pushed away from the bed—moving toward the wall of the bungalow slowly with a distance that baffled me. It was just a question, right? I stood up too.

"It's not that difficult, Tom. I want to know the man behind the mystique—that exterior you have a tendency to show the world. I'm sick of arrogance—of soulful loneliness and absent remarks. I want to know _the _Tom Quincy. If that's even your real name. You told me once that it wasn't. Do you remember that?" I asked slowly as he shook his head gradually before moving across the room and pushing his bare arms against the wall in a gesture that designated unease. It couldn't be that difficult for him could it?

"Sometimes the past is better left buried." Tom finally replied as he turned toward me with wide, darkened eyes. Light from a nearby flickering lantern played across his face as he approached me—intent I think on making me forget my intentions, but I wasn't having it. He had promised to answer one question. I was very adamant about keeping oaths.

"Oh no you don't!" I exclaimed as I backed away from him toward the open bathroom door behind me. He was not using male oriented intimidation. Hell no. He smiled slowly as I kept backing away before stopping suddenly once I reached the entrance of the restroom. That smile bothered me—made my stomach churn slightly in anger because he knew that he was getting to me and that irked me. I narrowed my eyes.

"Ah, but you also know what happens to things that stay buried too long? The remains get eat away at until there's nothing left but dust. That's just sad, Quincy." I replied as his smile slipped away before advancing again. I stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut in his face before turning the lock. Hell, yeah! There was at least one way to get away in this place. Tom didn't even say anything—didn't bang on the door or jiggle the knob. My breathing deepened as I placed my ear up against the door. What was he up to? Dear god! I jumped as his voice suddenly emanated through the wood.

"Should I get a piece of rope and tie myself to a chair before we begin sudden confessions?" Tom asked as I placed a hand against the door and laughed—shaking my head at the vision.

"Are we going to have a Matthew McConaughey and Jessica Parker "Failure to Launch' moment' Quincy? I'm touched." I replied steadfastly as he leaned against the other side of the door opposite me.

"That depends entirely on if we have sex or not, Harrison. Remember, in that movie, they managed to make it to that base before the whole tie him up in the chair incident." Tom stated as I slapped the door playfully—listening with a smile as he jumped away from it. Geez! He had such a way with words. I lay down on my back on the floor and stared out under the crack of the door at the reflection of Tom's bare feet in the glass bottomed floor. He stood there a minute before suddenly laying down next to me on the other side. He must have seen the reflection of my face. I swear he even chuckled.

"Fine, Harrison, as long as you answer a question for me." He remarked as a grape suddenly appeared under the door—a piece of fruit from the fruit tray that had been displayed near the bottle of champagne.

"Grape?" He asked quickly as I laughed before taking it gingerly and popping it into my mouth. Hmm….what kind of question could he possibly want to ask me? Alright, so I was intrigued now.

"Ask."


End file.
